Jonas Mekas is a giant in experimental film. He began his work in Williamsburg in 1949; today at 87, he is working on experimental short films for Apple. Along the way, he has made innumerable films, started key institutions in experimental film and collaborated with many, many key figures in the art and experimental film worlds. His insatiable drive to document his everyday experiences and encounters with the creative people around him has driven him to compile video diaries from 1949 onwards. That would make him the godfather of video blogging, podcasting, the MMS diary and YouTube. Tonight you can see one of his diaries, Walden (1969), shot on film, and tonight, shown on film. It was compiled between 1964 and 1969 and edited by hand chronologically. It's poetic and includes his encounters with creative cotravelers filmmaker Stan Brakhage, Harvard psychonauts Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert/ Baba Ram Das, poet Allen Ginsberg, artist Andy Worhol, muses Edie Sedgewick and Nico, artist Hans Richter, musician Lou Reed, artist Michael Snow, playwright Richard Foreman, writer Norman Mailer and artist-musicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Presented by the Cinema Project www.cinemaproject.org. At the Cinema Project space 11 NW 13th Ave, top floor. Elevator access is provided, please come to the door to request. Leave some extra time to find the space. 7:30PM $6 (cash/check)
After you have wrapped your mind around that, and if you want a musical challenge, stop by Worksound later. They are celebrating the birthday of saxophonist John Coltrane, who many consider the best, active from the early 1950's to his death in 1967 at age 40. Coltrane was a musical genius responsible for innovations such simultaneous improvisation in which he blew solos rapidly interleaving several symultaneous harmonic and melodic themes within a few measures. He also incorporated influences from Indian ragas. Jazz is the music many love to hate, it is brain music which takes warming to stepwise. Listen for yourself as you like at WorksoundPDX 820 SE Alder 8PM-11 $5
